Charlotte Šunde is a Social Scientist in the Coastal and Freshwater Group at Cawthron. She is interested in building effective cross-cultural relationships between indigenous peoples and western-trained scientists and resource managers. Charlotte has worked with communities, councils and iwi in many parts of New Zealand.

Charlotte’s work has included studying co-management between iwi and government agencies; experimenting with novel forms of environmental education such as using creative arts; critiquing valuation frameworks to incorporate a wider diversity of values in decision making; and exploring complex systems and ecosystem-based management. Charlotte draws from philosophical traditions in the humanities, theoretical framings in the social sciences, and practical applications in resource management, planning and the environmental sciences.

Technical skills, experience and interests

Social science skillset, including conducting in-depth interviews and analysis

Leading and facilitating collaborative management initiatives

Advising on environmental planning and policy issues

Developing valuation frameworks and principles

Professional affiliations

Association for the Study of Literature, Environment and Culture (ASLEC-ANZ)

New Zealand Geographical Society

International Center for Transdisciplinary Research and Studies (CIRET)